The present invention relates to pneumatic air valves. In particular, the invention relates to actuator assemblies for pneumatic air valves.
Pneumatic air valves, sometimes called butterfly valves, in gas turbine engines typically include linkage systems. The actuator portion of the pneumatic air valve is cantilevered off the valve body to maintain a light-weight and simple construction. A linkage system is used to translate axial motion in the piston into a rotation of a disk to open or close the valve.
Linkage systems in pneumatic air valves typically include two primary parts: a crank and a link. The crank and link are pinned together with a close-fit metallic pin. The crank can resemble a tuning fork like structure with a sleeve and two extending arms to connect above and below a link.